Improvement in bottles for containing mercury



I. G. JOHNSON.

MERCURY BOTTLE.

No. 21,835. Patented Oct. 19, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC e. JoHNsoN, or SPUYTEN DUYVIL, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOTTLES FOR CONTAINING MERCURY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21.835. dated October 19, 1858.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC G. JOHNSON, of Spuyten Duyvil, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented or discovered a certain new and useful Bottle for Containing Mercury for Transportation and other Purposes; and I do hereby describe and ascertain the same, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an exterior view; Fig. 2, 'a'sect-io'n.

Heretofore the bottles used in commerce for holding mercury or quicksilver have been made of 'wroughtiron. This was the only material that was sufliciently strong and secure for the purpose. Cast-iron would have been too liable to break and too porous to contain it with safety, and'greatly increased the weight over wrought-iron. Other metals would, be amalgamated, and glass, pottery, 826., are too fragile. The wrought-iron bottles are seamed on the side, and will sometimes-open on receiving a heavy blow -sueh as they are liable toand are exceedingly expensive, so much so in fact, as to preclude the manufacture in the United States, as far as I know. I have devised a bottle at once as light and portable as the wrought-iron, and as strong and safe in every particular, if not more sure not to to leak under the roughest usage.

My'bottle is made of malleable cast-iron, as follows: I make a pattern of the desired form, from which the exterior is molded; but instead of so forming the core ast'o vent only at the top through the neck, I pass a center vent or core clear through,leaving a small hole through the bottom of the bottle. Thismode of making the it so as to be mercury-tight.

core has several advantages: First, it gives more perfect and freerzvent, preventing aporous'casting or blows therein; and, secondly, it onables me to make the casting thinner and lighter than could otherwise be done. and more fully insures the equal thickness of the sides of the bottle. The bottle thus cast is filled with carefully-prepared decarbonizing compound, with'which it is also surrounded, and is then submitted to a heated annealing-fur nace in the usual way. It will be noted that if there is an" opening in' both endsof'tliisbofi tle it admits of a current through it and afree escape for gases. are necessary to obtain the most perfect results in annealing and manufacturing. After the bottle is madeand perfectly annealed it is finished by inserting a plug in the bottom and welding it tight; or otherwise fastening A bottle thus made Ihave put to the severest'tests with perfect safety. It can readily bebeaten flat, so as to collapse both sides together without injury, and a fall of any di'stance'to which the bottle in'practice would be liable would do no injury or endanger itscontents.

llavin thus fully described iny improved mercuryottle, what I claim is'-" The mercury-bottle formed and composed 9f malleable cast-iron, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof B have hereto set iny hand this21st day of July, 1858.

ISAAC G. JOHNSON.

In presence of- HENRY STANLEY,

WEBB.

.These several advantages 

